A do-it-yourself guide for getting rid of just about anything.

Best Ways to Get Rid of Gnats

Modified on July 17, 2016

Gnats will ruin a bike ride or a run. They’ll get in your mouth when doing either activity, and completely disrupt your workout. They’re tiny and irritating and I’m already usually in a bad enough mood due to exercising. Gnats, as part of the fly family, are found in every region of the U.S. Most are outdoor dwellers, but sometimes gnats will get in to be near the lights or your houseplants. Either way, you should find out how to get rid of them.

Gnats are NOT Fruit Flies

While both are tiny and both are irritating, and both like garbage cans, gnats don’t eat rotting food or produce. Fruit flies are a different beast, and this article here will help you if those are your problem:

Controlling the Most Common Gnat Species

Black Flies. For these things, also known as turkey or buffalo gnats, you’ll want to try a fogger. They’ll appear between late Aprila nd July, usually. Pyrethrin-based foggers, like Raid Yard Guard Outdoor Fogger and Spectracide Bug Stop Insect Killer (which Amazon sells here), are an efficient way to temporarily reduce the number of black flies near your home. You’ll want to keep this stuff away from animals, like cats, since they’re sensitive to them.

To get rid of fungus gnats, check out that article and/or dry out your houseplants. Fungus gnats breed in soil and feed off of plants, and they thrive in the wet, warm soil found in houseplants.

Eye Gnats. Mosquito spray is the best thing to keep these things away from you. They tend to swarm around our faces and get into eyes/mouths. They don’t bite, but tend to spread pink eye because of their feeding habits (secretions near the eyes of animals/humans). They’re not easy to control, but DEET containing repellant will keep them off.

Aquatic Midge. To get rid of midges, turn off the outdoor lights (they’re attracted to the light). They breed in water, but get into houses through screens and improperly sealed windows. Without the light to attract them, though, they shouldn’t be too much of a problem. You could also try sodium lights as they’re less attracted to them. You can find a wide variety of sodium lighting products at Amazon.

Natural Ways to Control Gnats

Apple cider vinegar. It’s pretty easy to create a apple cider vinegar gnat trap. Basically cut off the top third of an empty round plastic bottle (a 2-liter bottle works best). Put in about a half cup of apple cider vinegar, a couple drops of dish soap, and enough water to bring the fill up to halfway. Flip the top third upside down and tape it on. THe gants will go down the funnel but not be able to get back out.

Vanilla. Vanilla will work for a temperory repellant, provided it’s 100% pure (no added sugar/corn-syrup). Just mix about a tbsp vanilla with a cup water and then put on clothes/body.

Citronella. The live herbs are great, both inside and out. Citronella candles will also work to keep the gnats away.

Best Ways to Prevent Gnats from Coming Indoors

Install good screens. You’ll want the screen to be small enough to stop gnats and other “no-see-ums” from getting inside. They’ve got a fine mesh. Check out Home Depot or Menards for this screen material, and replace to stop gnats.

Repair entrance trouble spots. Gnats are small, and they are persistent. They will find the small holes/cracks to get inside. Be sure to repair holes in screens or walls to ensure that they can’t get in.

Pasteurized potting soil. Fungus gnats come in with soil, sometimes. Consequently, houseplants may be carriers. So, to help protect against that, use only pasteurized potting soil. The process kills any microorganisms that feed the gnats, and the gnats themselves. Be sure to protect unused soil from contamination!

Quarantine plants. If you’re bringing plants inside, you should probably keep them separate from your other plants/dirt/housing stuff for about 7-10 days. This will help ensure that you either spot the infestation before hand, or ensure that they don’t have one. Tiny white worms on the soil and gnats hovering tend to indicate an infestation. Dry out the plants/rake the soil to kill the larva. Once you’re clean for a week, you can bring the plant in.

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COMMENTS

November 17, 2016 at 1:38 pm

Fly-Zappersays:

I’ve tried the following: Glass cup, ½ tsp sugar, organic apple cider vinegar with mother, a few drops of dish detergent, slowly stirred up. I sat one in the bathroom and one on top of the refrigerator and a ½ later about 20-40 gnats were in each glass. I even made it a sport and got a clear plastic CD case and covered them whenever I saw 2 or 3 in there on the glass inside before falling in and shook them to their deaths. Though this worked wonders, this of course made me wonder if I was luring them inside by the scent of the concoction so I read that they don’t like the smell of lavender, bleach, and lemon oil. I had some essential lemon oil and what I did was put a few drops with water inside some ceramic oil burners I luckily got from a 99cents store (4 of them) and I burned the essential oil and they were GONE!! This gave my home a barely noticeable light lemon scent which I could only smell when I put my nose down to the burners to see if it was working. I imagine this method is derived from the citrus like scent of citronella burned outdoors, yet this is a safer method for indoors. During the entire duration of the oil burning, approx. 1 hour, there wasn’t one in sight and I had my windows opened to deter them from coming in. I then got a cotton ball and poured a few drops of essential lemon oil on it and wiped the edges of my bathroom and living room windows and that worked for the next few days. I have no lavender plants, which is highly recommended, but bleach is easy to come by so I also wiped down my entire garbage can and cleaned out and lined my window frames with it as well and this seemed to do the trick. I then remade another batch of my concoction of the apple cider vinegar to test to see how many more were still around and an entire day went by and both glasses each had 2 gnats a piece in them, which is better than almost one hundred. I then went around and sealed up any tiny holes they could be coming in from and so far so good. Maybe a stray 1 or 2 here and there but once I make my concoction again they will be inside it within a few minutes after preparation. I live in an apartment but for homeowners I’d suggest making the concoction I mentioned as well as a glass ½ filled with wine and placing them a distance away from your house to lure the pests there and if you want, once you see enough of them spray or bomb the entire area which is safer than doing inside your home and then repeat. I also interjected a bit of mental “intention vs. annoyance”. I realized the more I was annoyed and swatting at them the more they seemed to appear and when I changed my mindset to “you are not welcome here”, I got the results I mentioned. Good luck to all!!!

Hi everyone I found something that may help a lot with the gnats in youre kitchen. for one thing is keep everything clean, and don’t have any plastic bags with any garbage in it what I found to help a great deal is:::: If you have any wine bottles?? keep just a little wine, and put dawn detergent in the same bottle. when they fly in the bottle they do not come out. it is pretty good. keep the cup or bottle in the kitchen on the counter. that is what I found that works pretty good. try it.

July 30, 2016 at 1:49 pm

Lynsays:

Ok, thank you so much for your help with everything!! I appreciate you listening and responding!

Hi Eric! I have bought repellent spray with DEET and put some on my hands to rub on my face to keep them off my face. I stopped doing that because i was doing it every night and i didn’t think it was safe to be putting that stuff on my face every night. I tried foggers too. I will try the Deetspray again. Anything different i should try with it?

Hey Lyn, I hate to even ask, but have you considered using a bug spray with DEET? The University of California has a page with directions for a trap that seems like it might work for you. I’d suggest making the trap and bringing it up to the loft with you.

July 20, 2016 at 12:58 am

Lynsays:

Hi Eric! Im still having issues with eye gnats. I sleep in the loft area of my townhome so you can imagine how hot it gets up there during the summertime. At night, i sleep with the air conditioner on and a fan blowing in my face. I cover my mouth and nose with blankets, but the gnats continue to fly in my eyes, nose and mouth. I can’t get any sleep. I have tried everything!!!

June 12, 2016 at 5:23 am

Lynsays:

Hi Eric D! I have no clue how they are getting in the house, but I can’t take it anymore. I don’t get quality sleep at all because every night im fighting them off my face! Im gonna buy some insect spray with Deet and rub on my face. Any other suggestions??

Anne, sounds more like pantry/meal moths to me. Check out our How to Get Rid of Moths article and let us know if you need anything else.

June 4, 2016 at 3:03 pm

Anne bulducsays:

I am having serious problems with gnats or something very similar!!! I live in Laughlin NV there are thousands of them in the casinos here especially near the buffet area!!! Now they are getting into my apartment they are all over! I can’t get rid of them no matter what I do. Not long ago I went into my kitchen cabinet and opened a box of oatmeal and it was loaded with these bugs along with little worms!! I started checking all the boxed food and found them every where flying inside of unopened boxes!!! I have never had a problem like this!! I had to throw all my food away! Now I am so upset and paranoid I am checking everything all the time!! Please is there any thing any one can tell me to do?? I opened a box of brownie mix and there was a gnat flying inside the plastic bag ?? And the bag was sealed!! Not a clue how it got in there!!! I would be very grateful for any suggestions !!!! Thank you!

Also, I use a spray called Bug Soother that works for 1 1/2 – 2 hrs. It contains vanilla, rosemary, and some other herbs. I spray it into my hands and smooth it over my dogs’ muzzles, and it keeps gnats away from them too.

May 26, 2016 at 3:34 am

Lyn Jsays:

Hi everyone! I am having a big problem with eye gnats at night. I can’t sleep at all at night because they are constantly flying in my eyes and mouth. Its sooo frustrating!! I haven’t had a good nights sleep in a long time. I don’t know what to do! HELP!!

So I have flies or gnats in the house. Have had them for months. Have tried everything. Homemade traps, purchased traps, fly strips, sprayed plants with neem oil, and also tries pesticides. I have dried out my plants… I have sprayed under the oven, sprayed under the fridge, poured bleach down my drains.

I have tried everything. These bugs have left some clues as to who they are, but I have no clue and am at whits end… Thinking about calling an exterminator… But half of me thinks that’s ridiculous since they are tiny little flies.

Their clues for what they are:
They fly into your eyes
They are not that attracted to food/ fruit
Sometimes they fly into alcohol left open but only certain kinds
They don’t appear to be coming from my plants since I’ve sprayed them but it’s hard to tell.

Please help me. I don’t want to get rid of my plants, I have some that are years old.
Thank you

December 12, 2015 at 2:20 pm

Jackie Burtonsays:

DEC.11 2015. HERE IN CENTRAL INDIANA, THE GNATS ARE OVERWHELMING FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.THERE SEEMS TO BE A MILLION OF THEM FLYING UP YOUR NOSE, IN YOUR EYES EARS AND MOUTH

Hi Julie, my husband is driven crazy with these things flying up his nose, in his eyes and ears. He works in a hospital and they even get into his face at work. So why don’t they bother me? I can’t see them and think sometimes is he making this up? He can’t get to sleep at night and it’s becoming a big problem for him.
Could it be sugar in his diet and/or dairy? Both of these I have very little of. He’s tried eating neem leaves, taking the neem pills, he’s taking B1 at the moment. Can you offer any suggestions?
He won’t rub repellent on his face at night neither of us think that’s very healthy.
Thank you

August 18, 2015 at 3:24 pm

debbie forrestsays:

I want to leave a comment about the fly that got in the persons eye. If you start having problems soon with your sight or have the means to go to the eye doctor. I saw a show where a boy almost lost his sight because the fly hit his eye and a larvae got in his eye and started eating the cornea or reatnea.

A face fly went in my eye this morning…i had to go in the house and pull it out of there….they like my nose and fly in my ear i guess to try to find stray ear wax. I have no doubt if not for pants…well you get the idea…..

I learned a lot about gnats here-thank you. I would like to add there are tiny gnats all over my 2ft citrionella plant, the soil and the clay pot. The pot sits on my porch were we have had a lot of rain and the soil can not dry out. Mushrooms started growing in the pot, which I discarded. I assume these are fungus gnats. There no gnats on any of the other potted plants.

December 28, 2014 at 11:37 am

Stephen Johnsonsays:

Hi Julie, I live in southern indiana and the buffalo gnats are a real problem here and in southern illinois. When we moved here we discovered a local product called 8-Hour Gnat-B-Gone. It’s all natural and DEET-Free which is important to me and my family. It’s amazing how well this stuff works. It’s made by a place called New Harmony Soap Company. I think it’s available from their web site

October 13, 2014 at 11:22 pm

Buffysays:

Julie, Thank You for the GREAT info!! I had never heard of some of these, but unfortunately have a few in our house. With your help I will be eliminating them in the morning. Know that you have helped more than I thought I could get, and I appreciate you for it 🙂
Buffy